7 Best Snow Blowers Consumer Reports 2019 – Top Rated

When deciding whether to buy one, consider how much snow you get in an average winter, and how big an area you need to clear around your home in order to get your car on the road safely.

If you have a short driveway and a garage attached to your house, you might be able to get away with a decent snow shovel. Or, if you live in an area that rarely gets pummeled by winter storms, you may be better off saving the money you’d spend on a snow blower and hiring a plow truck once or twice a winter to dig you out.

Choose the Right Snow Blower

The snow blowers in our ratings range from about $200 to over $3,000. Features and size dictate price, here’s what you need to consider when zeroing in on the kind of snow blower that’ll serve you best.

Snow Blower StagesAll snow blowers use an auger to suck up snow from the ground and discharge it through a chute. On single-stage snow blowers, the corkscrew-shaped auger is the only device moving snow. Two-stage models have an auger but also use an impeller, which is a fan that helps force collected snow from the back of the auger, out through the discharge chute. The impeller helps two-stage models collect snow faster, and send it farther. Three-stage models have an auger and impeller but add something called an accelerator that helps force collected snow from the auger to the impeller. These machines can clear the fastest and throw the farthest. Single-stage machines tend to be the worst performers, and we only recommend a handful of models.

Power Source
The vast majority of snow blowers use gasoline engines, and these models perform the best. You’ll find some corded electric models, which can be used with an extension cord up to 100 feet from your home, but none perform well enough for us to recommend. A small but growing number of battery-powered electric models are also available, but most lack the power to clear heavy snow.

Wheels vs. Tracks
The majority of snow blowers are wheeled, including all single-stage models and most two- and three-stage models. For single-stage models, the user pushes or pulls the snow blower. On two-stage and three-stage machines, the wheels are powered by the engine, making those tools better-suited for clearing large areas, where you’d get tired of pushing and pulling. Some two- and three-stage snow blowers have tracks, like those on a tank, in place of wheels. They’re better for hills and steep driveways because they dramatically boost traction, but they tend to be harder to turn on level terrain.

What You Need to Keep Your Blower Running

Even a well-maintained snow blower can have problems. Keep these extra items handy to ensure your machine is operational when you need it most:• Belts. You’ll need one drive belt for single-stage machines and two for two-stage models.
• Shear pins. On two-stage models, they protect the engine and transmission by breaking if the auger hits something too hard. Keep extras on hand.• Fuel Stabilizer. If you’re running your snow blower every week, you won’t need it until you stow the unit in the spring. But when the machine sits idle, gasoline in the tank, fuel lines, and carburetor breaks down and thickens. Adding stabilizer to your fuel can slow down this process.

What Is A Snow Blower and How Do They Work?

A snow blower is a machine that, once you have bought and used one, you will wonder how you did without! It’s a simple concept that involves a device designed to move snow from one place to another; unlike, say, a vacuum cleaner or lawn mower it does not carry the snow, but blows it physically out of the way, thus clearing the obstruction. Click here to learn more about how snow blowers work.

There are many different makes, models, and types of snow blowers on the market, so we will talk you through what you need to know and look for when buying one. You should also check our snowblower reviews, as we have looked at many of the top models so you can see which one is best for you. Most snow blowers are petrol-powered, are easy to use (especially small snow blowers), and have many features that enable them to do the job you want.

Do You Need The Latest Top Rated & Best Snow Blower?

Do you live in an area where you experience mild to heavy snowfall in the winter months? Many areas do, and it can be very difficult to keep things moving on a day to day basis.

You might think that shoveling the snow to one side with a snow shovel is the easiest – and cheapest – option. It is certainly cheap, but it is far from easy. You might have experienced a foot or more of snow overnight; that’s a lot to move if you want to get your car out, and a massive amount if you are doing it by hand!

ambrosiabaking.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.